By I am sure it is not only me who is counting down the days not just till Spring Break, but summer.
Summer seems too far away to bear.
But my Spring Break?
I am daydreaming about it in classes, at work, heck, even as I type this, I can feel myself getting happier.
Maybe you faithful readers are asking: Harlie, why are you so ecstatic about spring break?
I could answer and tell you my plans to go to Big Sky and to potentially embarrass myself, face planting while skiing.
But in reality? I am ready for a break.
Not just from assignments and deadlines, but from the constant hum of doing.
Doing homework.
Doing readings.
Doing laundry.
Doing mental math! (How many points do I need to feel secure?)
College has a way of turning us into productivity machines, and somewhere between midterms and group projects, we forget that we are human beings first.
Spring Break, for me, isn’t just about Big Sky or the possibility that I will absolutely wipe out on a blue run. Let’s be honest, it’s bound to happen.
It’s about waking up without an alarm. It’s about drinking my tea slowly instead of in a rush on the walk to class.
It’s about remembering what it feels like to exist without a checklist.
And I don’t think I’m alone.
Around campus, you can see it in people’s faces. The tired eyes in the library. The half-joking comments about “academic burnout.”
The way conversations always seem to drift toward countdowns: “How many days until break?” I have teachers even asking daily how long we have.
We’re not just looking forward to a vacation. We’re craving rest.
There’s something oddly comforting about knowing the pause button is almost within reach. Spring Break feels like a deep breath we’ve all been holding since January.
A moment to reset before the final sprint toward summer.
So yes, I am excited about Big Sky. I’m excited for the cold air and the mountain views and even the bruised ego that might come from a dramatic fall in front of strangers.
But more than that, I’m excited to feel like myself again, not just a student ID number or a name on a roster, but a person with time to think, laugh, and just be.
If you’re counting down the days too, know this: you’ve earned the break. Rest isn’t laziness. It’s necessary.
And when we come back, sun-kissed or ski-sore, hopefully we’ll return not just refreshed, but reminded that life is bigger than syllabi and deadlines.
Until then, I’ll see you on the slopes. Or more realistically, in the snow.
